“Nothing but the Truth” by Holly James
June 14, 2023
“For everyone who found or lost something in 2020” is how Holly James starts “Nothing But the Truth,” her recently published young adult fiction novel. Though many of my friends presumed I would be reading another legal textbook, they were surprised to hear that I decided on a modern, feminist, romantic-comedy summer story. Quite honestly, the epigraph mentioned above drew me to pick this book. Surely, 2020 was a year I’d lost some but found much more. So, curiosity compelled me to see how James’ experiences in 2020 resulted in creating a story on lessons about self-discovery, being true to yourself, and finding treasures in our losses.
The vibrant and overly stereotypically-feminine book cover somewhat entails what the reader is about to witness while omnisciently following the protagonist, Lucy Green, a successful LA-based celebrity publicist. With its fluorescent pink background, centred cupcake, and surrounding yellow sparkles, one would assume the novel would suggest a story with love-filled dramas, tales of BFFs, and any other cliche woman stereotypes. In many ways, James does, in fact, deliver this as we get to read about Lucy’s loyal friendship with Nina and her complex relationships between a boyfriend she doesn’t love and a hot bartender that might’ve cast a spell on her. However, she also surprises us with much more.
The most intriguing part of this book is James’ riveting way of contorting a young adult novel into a comedic interpretation of female empowerment. Lucy is a refreshing character that voices what many of us likely already think but feel barred from saying. More importantly, the author thematically lets us ponder: Will the truth set us free? As we follow Lucy’s journey, we observe her happiness beginning to flourish after facing the mental barriers of telling her honest truth. Her character becomes an affirmation that our life becomes a shadow when hidden under a blanket of lies, thus further deteriorating our relationships with ourselves.